“Well, sir,” said the impatient seaman, “just as you please, tushes or high teeth, if you’ll only be kind enough to come and help us out of this plaguy mess, and save the poor dumb animal’s life.”

The quick clatter of feet up the ladders gave the signal that the successful deputation were returning to the anxious party assembled between the two guns just abaft the gangway-ladder, and nearly abreast the after-hatchway, and immediate preparations were made for the operation.

While these preparations were going on, the learned doctor had leisure to consider the case more attentively; and it occurred to him that it would be needless cruelty to draw the poor beast’s tusks, and therefore he exchanged that too well-known instrument, the dentist’s key, for a pair of bone-nippers, with which he proposed merely to break off the points.

“I don’t know exactly about that,” said the perplexed quarter-master, when the assistant surgeon explained his views of the matter.  “The captain said to me, ‘Draw those wild bear’s tushes out of him;’ and I am afraid, if they are only broken, the monkey may still have a chance for going astern.”

“Nonsense, nonsense!” interrupted the judicious doctor.  “Can you suppose the captain wished that anything should he done to the animal but just enough to prevent his biting the people?”

And, suiting the action to the word, he closed the fatal pincers, and nipped away the ends of the offending tusks, it is to be hoped without causing him any great pain.  But although poor Jacko probably did not suffer much, his rage knew no bounds; and no sooner was the canvas unfolded, than he sprang towards the after-hatchway, and catching the sergeant’s hand in his mouth, closed his jaws with all his force.  Instinctively the soldier’s cane was in the air, but a dozen voices roared out, “He can’t bite!  He has got no tushes left!  Don’t hit him!” And, sure enough, although Mr. St. Jago gnawed and struggled, he could make no impression on the well-tanned fist of the veteran, but, at length, slunk off quite abashed, amidst the shouts and laughter of the crew.

When the ship came to England, and was paid off, I turned over the monkey to the boatswain, who always remains in the ship, whence he found his way back to his old haunts in Exeter ’Change, after an absence of nearly three years; for happening one day, not long after the ship was paid off, to be in attendance upon a party seeing the wild beasts, one of the monkeys set up such a chattering in his cage, that he attracted the attention of the keeper of the establishment.  “That animal seems to know you, sir,” said he to me; and upon going nearer, I discovered my old and mischievous friend grinning with delight.  I must own, indeed, that my heart smote me a little as I looked at the broken teeth, while the poor fellow held out his paw to catch my hand, in the spirit of perfect kindness and forgiveness.